


Unexpected Guests

by PhoenixAccio



Series: Alaska [2]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: (from the DID), Dissociative Identity Disorder, Found Family, Jack the Ripper - Freeform, M/M, Memory Loss, as usual, but like im writing him well bc he deserved better, cyborg raiden, jack took all raiden's braincells when he split off and has yet to give them back, like i get its badly written but isnt that the point of fanfiction?, nobody tells raiden anything, raiden doesnt know about jack, snake's 50 dogs, technically the memories are still there theyre just jack's, theres no raiden DID content which is wild bc its canon he has it, this timeline is questionable but its fine nobody knows the timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26630290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixAccio/pseuds/PhoenixAccio
Summary: What do you do when a guy you haven't seen in years shows up on your doorstep with your dead friend's infant child, claiming to be someone else?
Relationships: Otacon/Solid Snake
Series: Alaska [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1975786
Comments: 12
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i dont have DID, i'm going off research and friends' experiences w it and w osdd. if i mess smth up pls let me know! raiden is severely underappreciated and deserves better and i am going to give it to him.

Solid Snake was jerked roughly out of sleep by the sound of metal on wood, something he couldn't identify pounding against his and Otacon's door along with the alert barking of Snake's huskies in their run. Scowling, muscles tensed, Snake rolled out of bed, grabbing the gun from his dresser as he slipped silently into the hallway. The banging sound came again, and Snake grit his teeth. Safety off and gun at the ready, Snake opened the front door a crack preparing to defend himself if need be.

The door opened, revealing a person standing on his doorstep who seemed unusually calm about the gun pointed at their face.

"Snake," they said. It wasn't a question.

Snake lowered his gun.

"...Raiden?"

Raiden frowned, pushing past Snake into the house the moment he was no longer under threat of being shot.

"No," said the man who apparently was not Raiden, and neglected to elaborate. There was some kind of bundle on his back, Snake noticed, and as he watched the Raiden-doppelgaanger remove the bundle to hold it in his lap on the ratty couch, Snake realized it was moving.

"What is that?" Snake crossed the room to join Not-Raiden where he sat in the living room.

"Sonechka Gurlokovich."

"What?" Snake asked, lost.

Not-Raiden pulled aside a flap of fabric on the sling to reveal the sleeping face of an infant no more than a year old, if Snake was generous.

"Found her accidentally, thought I might as well bring her here since Olga asked," he replied.

Abtruse though Not-Raiden was being, the name was the missing piece Snake needed for the dots to connect in his mind.

"Her child," Snake realized, and Not-Raiden nodded. 

"What-- what happened? If you aren't Raiden, who are you?" Snake frowned, struck by an idea he didn't particularly care for. "Don't tell me they're starting the cloning program up again--"

"I'm not a clone," Not-Raiden cut Snake off. Snake blinked.

"Okay?" Snake replied, confused. "What... are you then?"

"You can call me--" Not-Raiden paused, thinking. "You can call me Jack the Ripper, I guess. Most accurate name to use."

Turning away, the newly christened Jack the Ripper pushed back the sling's flap again, and released Sonechka from her containment. The infant had likely been out there in the cold of the tundra for hours, to have made it all the way out here. Snake knew exactly how cold it got out there at night. Even adults risked frostbite at the very least, but that kind of cold could kill a child in no time if you let your guard down. Fortunately, however, as Jack looked her over, Snake could see no signs of that deadly frost on Sonechka's tiny extremities. He couldn't help but let out a sigh, relieved that the child was safe.

Snake sat for a few moments more, examining the baby and Jack in turn, until a noise came from behind both Snake and Jack's backs. Snake recognized it as footsteps, and his theory was confirmed when moments later he heard a familiar yawn from the hall.

"David?" came Otacon's sleep-soft voice, as if closely following a yawn. "What's goin' on, is someone here?"

"Yeah, we have a guest," Snake replied. "Two, actually."

Snake could hear the puzzled frown in Otacon's words, could picture it in his mind. He smiled at the image.

Beside him, Jack began removing the scarf obscuring the lower half of his face, inviting himself to stay. As the fabric came away in Jack's hands, Otacon gasped, and Snake felt a bit like doing the same. It was Raiden's face beneath the scarf, a little older than before but otherwise recognizable. His lower jaw, though, was where the changes began. The lowermost segment of Jack's-- Raiden's-- face had had its skin and bone replaced by a metal prosthetic, bottom lip gone to reveal titanium teeth that blended right into the rest of Jack's artificial jaw. Snake remembered the metallic knocking, and looked down, confirming that what he'd assumed were gloves at a glance were really Jack's own hands.

"A cyborg?" Otacon asked, just as Snake thought the same.

Jack nodded curtly, slipping his coat off to reveal yet more metal underneath.

"Patriots are a bitch."

Snake opened his mouth to ask what the hell Jack was talking about, but Jack cut him off.

"I'm not doing this tonight, save it. You got a place for the kid?"

"Not exactly prepared for situations like this," Snake grunted. Jack nodded again, as if expecting it. He lifted the child in question, and slipped her back into the sling, strapping it to his chest.

"I don't move much in my sleep," he added when Snake still looked uncertain. "It's fine, we can get something meant for her soon."

After a moment, Snake conceded.

"Alright, fine. We're talking about all this tomorrow though," Snake warned.

"Fine, whatever," Jack agreed, rolling his eyes. "Go back to bed with your boyfriend or whatever, I'm going to sleep."

"Oh-- Okay?"

Not giving Snake the time to change his mind, Jack kicked off his boots and lay down on the couch, kid strapped to his chest. His feet were high heels, Snake absently observed.

"Goodnight?" Snake replied, but Jack was already out.

"Come on," Snake addressed Otacon now. "Let's go back to bed."

"I'm still very confused," Otacon replied, but followed happily nonetheless. The morning was close enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the following morning, discussion is had about what has happened so far, and about what is to be done next

They did not get answers in the morning.

Snake had woken up at the crack of dawn, as usual. This far north, the crack of dawn was a relative statement, but six am was six am regardless of what the sun had to say about it, and the bedroom curtains were thick enough that Snake's circadian rhythm didn't rely on light to wake him up. Otacon was still asleep, also as usual, and as usual Snake wouldn't bother waking him until he at least had coffee brewed. Rubbing a hand across his face, Snake pushed himself up and made for the kitchen.

He'd honestly forgotten he and Otacon weren't the only people here, and the sight of someone passed out on the living room couch made him start before he remembered what was happening. Snake shook his head to clear it and started on the coffee.

A few minutes later, Jack on the couch stirred with a bleary groan, drawing Snake's attention.

"Where--" he said. He was sat up on the couch now, looking confusedly down at the baby strapped to his chest.

"Morning, Jack," Snake greeted, leaning against the counter. Jack's head snapped around as if he hadn't realized Snake was in the room.

"Snake?" Jack seemed completely perplexed, more than one usually might waking up somewhere new.

"Yes," Snake replied, frowning.

"Guess I got out," Jack muttered under his breath, then: "Where am I?"

"You... you're at my house, in Alaska. You arrived last night." Snake studied Jack. "Do you not remember?"

"No, sorry," Jack replied, sounding far too fine with the whole thing. He had begun unstrapping the sling holding the kid to his chest. "Don't remember the kid either, that one's new."

"What? That's Olga's kid, you brought her with you."

"You can call me Raiden, you know," Jack-who-apparently- _was_ -Raiden said, glossing over the child thing with frankly alarming ease. Snake honestly almost thought he hadn't heard him. "I feel weird using your code name if you're not going to use mine."

"Yesterday..." Snake stopped himself. Clearly something weird was going on, and he should probably stop assuming anything yesterday counted for much. "Okay, sure. Raiden then. You wake up a lot with no clue where you are?"

"I mean, not a lot? Like, the normal amount, probably. I dunno," Raiden replied unhelpfully.

"What do you mean, the normal amount? Raiden, unless you're getting blackout drunk on the daily the normal amount is none."

Raiden looked perplexed.

"I don't drink. Not that much, at least. You seriously never wake up weird places and don't remember why?"

"Not when I'm sober, I don't. Are you... okay?"

Raiden just looked away, clearly having some kind of crisis Snake was saved from having to deal with by Otacon's arrival.

"Coffee?" Otacon said bluntly, and nodded as Snake pressed the mug into his hands. No cream, too much sugar for any sane man, like every morning. Snake had no idea how Otacon drank the stuff, but he clearly enjoyed it so Snake just left him to it.

"Oh, hi," Raiden waved awkwardly from the couch. "Why am I not surprised you two live together?"

Otacon gave Snake a kind of confused stare, and Snake sighed.

"Doesn't remember last night, according to him," Snake explained. "Apparently he has 'the normal amount' of random memory loss."

Otacon made a face that looked how Snake felt. It was nice to see they were on the same page. On the couch, Raiden had removed Sonechka from her sling and was holding her somewhat awkwardly.

"The kid is Olga's kid, Sonechka," Snake commented. It felt weird letting Raiden know about something he'd told Snake the night before, even if Raiden didn't remember it.

"Oh," Raiden said simply. "That's good. Won't have to go back... _there,_ to try and find her."

Snake could fill in the blanks. The Patriots hospital, Raiden meant. Understandable that he'd want to avoid the subject given his current state. When Snake glanced over to check on him, Otacon was finishing his coffee. Snake decided to make breakfast.

"We need things to take care of Sunny, don't we?" Otacon said about half an hour later, once everyone had their food.

"Sunny?" Snake teased, corner of his mouth quirking up fondly.

"We gotta call her something," Otacon shrugged. "Sonechka seems a little... old, for a kid her age?"

Snake laughed, a quick puff of breath out his nose. "Guess so. How old is she, anyways?"

Otacon frowned, fingers moving just slightly how they always did when he did math in his head.

"Olga was pregnant on the tanker," Otacon thought aloud. "So Sunny'd probably have been around one on Big Shell?"

"Two years old," Snake concluded. "She's too small, I've seen two year olds before. What did they _do_ to her?"

Raiden, who apparently didn't need to eat anymore, spoke up from the couch.

"Isolation."

"What?" Snake asked, not immediately making the connection between the conversation and Raiden's comment.

"Isolation. It's on her bracelet. They kept her alone."

There was a tense silence as Snake and Otacon processed what Raiden had said.

"Touch deprivation in infancy," Otacon recited. "Resulting in, among other things, failure to thrive."

The collective horror went unacknowledge. They all knew what the Patriots did, where their moral standards lay. 

"Supplies," Otacon repeated, after a moment. Snake rubbed his hand over his face, nodding his assent. Behind him, Raiden did the same, before returning his eyes to the child in his lap.

"What do two year olds need?" Snake sighed. He'd take a trip into town once they had a proper shopping list, the dogs needed the exercise anyways.


	3. Chapter 3

They ended up putting Sunny's crib in Snake and Otacon's room. Snake only had so much space, with no room for a second bedroom, and Raiden had insisted the child sleep separately from him, although he'd refused to say why. He'd been defensive when he'd asked for Sunny to sleep somewhere else, as if used to having to defend his need to sleep alone, which made Snake sad despite himself. That wasn't a reaction you developped when people around you respected your boundaries. Raiden had seemed surprised when Snake had simply nodded at the request and carried the crib into his own bedroom to set it up. Snake understood what life could do to a person, he trusted that Raiden had his reasons.

Despite himself, he worried.

One night when Snake left his bedroom for water (and maybe something stronger) after a particularly gory dream, he was met by mumbling from Raiden on the couch.

"Raiden?" Snake asked, thinking for a moment he might be awake. When Raiden didn't respond, Snake nodded. Dreaming, then.

Snake stepped around the couch to check on Raiden properly, and saw his face pale and clammy-looking, with harshly furrowed brows. Raiden's fists were clenched where he lay slightly curled on his side. Hm. Snake thought about waking Raiden, to pull him from whatever he was dreaming of. He could defend himself if Raiden reacted how he typically did, but the single time he'd woken Otacon from a nightmare, the man gone fully limp and boneless, unresistant to being moved or touched, which had scared Snake more than being punched might have. He knew what kinds of trauma made you hit people who woke you. Going limp and submissive was something very different. Arguably, something worse. Snake wasn't sure if he wanted to know what Raiden did if woken up.

As it turned out, he didn't need to. While he was standing there, Raiden gasped, thrashing briefly as he kicked off the blanket draped over him. When he caught sight of Snake, he froze, body language shifting dramatically. Any traces of the fear from before slid off him as he scrambled to stand at attention. Snake blinked, raising his hands, open-palmed and slow, to show he was unarmed. After a moment, Raiden frowned, seemingly actually registering who was in front of him.

"Raiden?" Snake asked tentatively.

"You're. Not him," Raiden said, relaxing slightly, but into a deeply un-Raiden-like stance, battle-trained and hip cocked stark against Raiden's usual awkward uncertainty.

"And I'm Jack, not Raiden," Jack, apparently, added. That explained things, Snake guessed, at least somewhat.

"I still don't actually get that," Snake said, oddly willing to accept whatever this was. A friend being two people was practically suburban, compared to some of the things he'd seen.

"Not sure how much there is to explain," Jack said, crossing his arms as he sat back down. "You've seen us switch before. I take over when Raiden can't deal with shit."

Snake hummed low in his throat. "Are you some kind of, what, cyborg AI autopilot then?"

Jack scoffed, which Snake figured was a no.

"Considering I've been around since Liberia, I doubt it," he replied bluntly. "Look, I don't know what I am either, all I know is I have a job and I do it. Usually doesn't involve being interrogated."

"Sorry," Snake replied. "Just trying to understand. Raiden doesn't know?"

"How would I know what he knows?" Jack asked, clearly not expecting an answer. "We don't share memories, that would kind of defeat the point of me doing shit for him."

The pieces clicked together in Snake's mind when Jack said this.

"It's you then?" Snake asked. "The memory loss, I mean. He didn't remember last night. That's you... in control."

"Yeah, probably." Jack shrugged, and Snake nodded.

"I'm not going back to sleep, you got anything to do around here until Raiden's back?"

"Uh, there's some books on that shelf. Magazines." Snake pointed at the shelf in question. "Most of it was here when I moved in, go ahead and help yourself."

Jack looked put out, then rolled his eyes and stood to pick out something he liked. Snake turned to finally get that glass of water he came here for, watching from the corner of his eye as Jack pulled out a magazine at random and settled himself on the couch to flip through it. Smiling, Snake drank his water quickly, leaving the now-empty glass in the sink to be washed later.

"I'm heading back to bed," Snake informed Jack, then headed back to his and Otacon's bedroom.

"Night," Jack called absently after him, and that was that.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time morning came properly and Snake made his way to the kitchen, everything was quiet again. On the sofa nearby, Jack--or Raiden--was sleeping soundly, draped across the couch with his magazine resting open on his chest, as if he'd fallen asleep reading. Snake smiled softly despite himself, and busied himself with preparing coffee for himself and his partner.

One coffee unaltered, one black but far too sweet, and Otacon is in the kitchen, sleep-soft and eager as Snake hands him his mug.

"Sunny?" Snake asked simply.

"Still asleep." Otacon yawned, and took another sip of his drink. He tilted his head, indicating Raiden, and said, "looks like she takes after her cousin."

Snake, who had just taken a sip of his own coffee, choked quite dramatically and had to take a moment to expel most of the liquid from his lungs.

Otacon turned bright red at the reaction, and scrambled to defend himself.

"I mean, since Raiden's adopted father was Solidus, he's pretty much your nephew, right? And like, Sunny needs parents. Olga asked you to find her, didn't she? I think that kind of makes her our kid. Maybe. Is that weird to say? Oh, geez, I shouldn't have assumed you'd be fine with that, that's such a big decision, and I just assumed-"

"Hal, it's fine," Snake said firmly, covering one of Otacon's hands with his as he cut him off. "You just surprised me. Wasn't expecting it. I guess he is kind of my nephew."

Taking a deep breath and another (more successful) mouthful of coffee, Snake studied the countertop's speckled surface, steeling himself.

"Wouldn't mind having a kid with you, either," Snake muttered. His face felt hot, Snake was sure he was bright red by now. He felt like a teenager confessing to a crush as he waited for Otacon to respond.

"Cool," Otacon squeaked, and Snake immediately felt better when he peeked up and Otacon's face was as red as his own felt where it wasn't covered by a hand. Despite his best efforts, Snake couldn't stop himself from snorting at the reaction. He was relieved when Otacon joined in instead of getting upset.

"We are grown men," Otacon giggled uncontrollably into his palm. "We are two grown men, and you told me you wanted to raise a kid and I-- I said _cool!"_

On the other side of the counter, his hand still covering Otacon's, Snake was laughing just as hard.

Eventually, the two of them calmed down, laughter fading gradually to comfortable quiet. Snake allowed himself to bask in it briefly, then pressed his forehead to Otacon's so their noses touched, a little ritual that had endured even after Otacon had finally gathered the courage to kiss Snake for real. It was nice, sometimes, to just share in the touch, without the expectation of progressing further kissing properly could hold.

"I'm going to start on breakfast," Snake told Otacon softly, allowing himself a few more seconds before pulling away. As he stood to gather his ingredients and supplies, Snake felt legitimately peaceful. The feeling had been so rare as to be practically unknown to Snake even a few years ago, and now it was practically mundane. The thought of it sometimes made Snake dizzy.

He and Otacon ate together, and Raiden, himself again, sat with them for company although he did not eat. When Sunny woke, Snake watched as Otacon held her in his lap and fed her, nimble fingers careful as they handled something so precious, eyes full of starry wonder at the tiny life. Snake knew he must look the same, despite all his pretenses.

"I love you, Hal," Snake said, because it was true.

"I know," Otacon smiled, then: "I love you too, Dave."

Snake smiled, warm, and went to feed the dogs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raiden needs some structure, and the huskies meet the newest member of the pack.

Snake was worried about Raiden. 

He hadn't seen Jack since that second night, but Snake knew that didn't mean everything was fine. Raiden would sit with everyone else at mealtimes, politely participating in conversation even if he couldn't actually eat, and he would do chores if they needed doing, but it was what he did when unoccupied that concerned Snake. 

Before he got his dogs, Snake had been a mess. He was so used to military discipline and constant missions that he didn't know what to do with himself as a civilian. Without the constant tasks and strict schedule he'd had in FOXHOUND, Snake didn't do much other than lay on the couch drinking himself into a stupor for lack of anything better to do. It didn't exactly help things that the stillness of the cabin gave his brain all the time in the world to go over every atrocity Snake had ever committed one by one. 

Snake caught himself, then, before he could get lost, taking a deep breath and shaking his head to clear the dead men's faces from his mind's eye. 

Raiden, in this sense, reminded Snake far too much of himself. Snake wasn't sure if Raiden could even drink anything at this point, let alone if alcohol even affected cyborgs in the first place, but the withdrawal when Snake had finally managed to pull himself together wasn't something he wished on anyone. It was better Raiden never got to that point, and Snake never had to find out. 

"Raiden?" Snake said. 

"Mm," Raiden acknowledged from his usual post, laying on his side on the couch and staring at the wall. Snake was reminded suddenly of a trip one of his foster families had taken, to some sad little zoo in a shopping mall, and of the miserable-looking lion with the patchy mane and too-small enclosure, laying listless behind the glass on the concrete floor. 

"I need your help with something," Snake continued. "The huskies need feeding, mind giving me a hand?" 

At first, Raiden didn't reply, and Snake worried he was going to say no, but then Raiden rolled off the couch and to his feet, nodding at Snake. 

"The run's behind the house," Snake said, already at the coat rack and slipping on a thick parka and gloves and putting on his boots. Raiden nodded again, donning the winter gear Snake remembered from the night he'd arrived, and allowed Snake to lead the way around the outside of the cabin to the wide flat building behind it. 

Snake's eyes slipped shut momentarily as he opened the front door and was immediately met by warm air and the smell of dogs. He stepped inside, and watched as Raiden slipped in after him. A low gated fence separated the doorway from the rest of the building, and Snake smiled as the huskies on the other side of the fence ran up to the gate to greet Snake and bark at the newcomer. 

"Hello," Snake said, grinning as he allowed a large copper-furred dog to lick his de-gloved hand. 

"Raiden, the food is by that wall," Snake told the younger man, pointing at the large bags of kibble stacked beside the door. "Just open a bag and pour it in there." 

Snake indicated the correct container, a long sort of trough that spread the food out enough for all the dogs to get an opportunity, and Raiden nodded and followed the instructions Snake had given. 

His dogs were well-behaved, Snake knew. He watched as they waited politely for Raiden to finish putting out their food and back off before moving in on it eagerly. Snake nodded and refilled their water. 

"Thanks for helping out," Snake said when he'd finished with the water, giving Raiden a grateful nod. Raiden looked away awkwardly, likely unaccustomed to the praise. 

"The dogs like you," Snake observed. "They're usually not this calm with strangers." 

"Oh," Raiden replied, surprised. "They do?" 

"Yeah, they do. Do you want to go in there and say hello once they're done eating? Let them get to know your smell properly." 

"Is that okay?" Raiden asked cautiously. 

"Yeah, I introduced them to Otacon when he moved in, too." 

The dogs were finishing up, so Snake gestured for Raiden to come over to the gate where he stood. 

"I'll go in with you, if you like," Snake reassured Raiden. "They're well-behaved, they won't hurt you, but they can get a little overwhelming sometimes." 

"Uh, sure, if you want to," Raiden agreed. 

Snake nodded, opening the gate for Raiden and following through behind. As the gate swung shut behind them, one of the braver dogs, black and white with bright blue eyes, came up to greet them happily. 

"Hey, Kita," Snake greeted, coming up to stroke her head. "This is Raiden." 

Snake pointed to Raiden and Kita, apparently remembering from last time Snake had introduced a new pack member, trotted up to Raiden to stand excitedly by his feet. 

"Hold out a hand so she can smell," Snake prompted. Looking uncertain, Raiden complied, and Kita happily sniffed at it before giving him a lick. While Raiden and Snake were focused on Kita, a few of the other dogs had been approaching with interest, recognizing the familiar routine of introducing a new member to the pack and excited to meet their new friend. 

The copper-furred dog from earlier, affectionately named Faucet, comes up to bump his nose against Raiden's leg, trying to get some of the attention away from his sister with a friendly little 'hello' squeak. Grinning despite himself, Raiden moved his hand for Faucet to sniff before giving him a pat. 

"That's Faucet," Snake called to Raiden, and Raiden nodded, parroting the name back to both Snake and the dog in question. 

Raiden greeted the various dogs as they came up to him, Snake introducing them as they arrived. Eventually, Raiden ended up on the ground when Bob, true to his name, bounced up against Raiden's chest and bowled the already somewhat unsteady man straight over to give his face a lick. 

"Bob," Snake called, voice warning but amused. The dog couldn't hear him, of course, but the other dogs knew what scolding sounded like and would let their deaf brother know. Raiden didn't look particularly distressed, though, so Snake let the dogs swarm him to lick his arms and face, smiling as he heard Raiden laugh as sincerely as Snake had ever heard from him before. 

Snake watched fondly as the dogs settled around and on top of Raiden, accepting him as their packmate. Raiden's face was wet in a way that was clearly not just from dog slobber, but Snake didn't mention the puffy red eyes when they headed back inside. He'd definitely be asking for Raiden's help with the dogs plenty more in the future, Snake thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did writing this just make me start designing snake's dogs incuding backstory? yes, absolutely, there are more of them too. feel free to ask about this in the comments i would Love to discuss


End file.
